There once was a Vietnamese pot-belly pig who seemed a bit sad.

His owner contacted an “interspecies communicator” to find out what might be wrong with him. After talking with the pig’s owner about the pig’s life, likes and dislikes and personality, the woman was able to find out some answers through telepathy.

It turned out that the pig wanted more color in his life. It seems a color television set was the answer, turning the sad piggy into a happy couch potato.

This success story is told by Jacqueline Sowell, who believes she has a special gift that she has improved through training to become a professional interspecies communicator.

She says she talks to animals. Not with her mouth, but her mind. She uses telepathy to communicate with animals, often without actually seeing the animal in person.

“Communicating with animals is like learning a new language,” she said. “It takes practice and much patience as well as an open mind.”

As weird as it may sound to some people, interspecies communication is actually more common that one might think. Especially after the success of the TV show, The Pet Psychic, hundreds of Web sites and businesses related to pet telepathy sprang up around the globe. There’s even “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Pet Psychic Communication.”

Sowell consults with clients and their pets over the phone, using telepathy to communicate with animals. When she is not busy with a phone meeting, Sowell is occupied with preparing and putting on workshops as well as writing articles on how to better communicate with animals.

Since beginning her work as an interspecies communicator, Sowell has been working with clients on a one-on-one basis, as well as with health care professionals and dog and horse trainers, to help soothe and create a genuine caring atmosphere for animals.

Topics of discussion include such things as behavior problems, health and well being, end-of-life decisions and a shared life path.

Sowell has a passion to open people’s minds to the idea that they can indeed communicate with their pets on a daily basis through telepathy.

A person might consult an interspecies communicator if the pet seems to be feeling down, if there are signs of a health problem, aggressive behavior or a behavior that is out of the ordinary for the pet.

In addition, if a pet needs help preparing for a life change, such as a family move, a fellow pet dying or a health problem, Sowell can be of assistance.

“Most of us have an experience that will come out in one way or another. The same goes for animals, you just have to learn how to quiet your mind and listen closely to what they are saying,” Sowell said.

Sowell’s clients agree that a little patience goes a long way when it comes to really understanding animals.

Victoria Fairbanks of Langley has used Sowell’s services many times to help her pets.

“The experiences that I have had with Jacqueline have been phenomenal,” Fairbanks said. “In fact, I would never use another animal communicator after I have taken my animals to her. She is very devoted to her work with animals, cares deeply for them and is very precise about behavior changes that need to be made.”

Fairbanks came to Sowell about a cat who had a problem with doing its business outside of the litter box. According to Fairbanks, after Sowell talked to the cat, they were able to come to some conclusions that led to a solution.

“Jacqueline hears and interprets what you are saying and truly knows how to communicate on a special level with animals, she has been a great help and is very creative in finding answers,” Fairbanks said.

Sowell’s creative side was detected early as a small child. She particularly enjoyed painting, which she still continues to do today. As an adult, Sowell chose the academic route, earning a bachelor’s degree in German Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and then a master’s degree in English Literature from the University of California, Irvine.

Sowell moved to Washington in 1990, where she worked various places including Microsoft.

Now, her joy is working with animals. She has has a dog and two cats of her own, so she understands what it is like to want to know what an animal is really thinking.